Adjusting means



F. F. YANIKOSKI ADJUSTING MEANS Feb. 26, 1957 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 14, l95 4 FZQE'WEYIIMSW,

Feb, 26, 1957 F. F. YANIKOSKI ADJUSTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14,- 1954 WM m United ADJUSTING MEANS Application October 14, 1954, Serial No. 462,356

4 Claims. (Cl. 116-424) This invention relates generally to adjusting devices and more particularly to a knob and dial assembly or unit for adjusting detection and control apparatus. The adjusting unit of the invention is adapted still more par ticularly to controlling or ordering and indicating apparatus setting, Which setting involves an axial adjustment, which adjustment is effected by a rotatable adjusting element, and the setting and adjustment being appropriate for example to apparatus for measuring and regulating temperature, pressure or other conditions.

The invention aims to provide a simple and inexpensive but durable and accurate control-setting regulating unit. The invention aims further to provide an improved adjusting-element-position regulating and indicating unit which is of advantageously small size, has a minimum number of moving parts, and is sufiiciently well insulated to permit its handling at high temperatures. Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a control-setting regulating unit wherein, by the reduction of multiple turns of the adjustment element to less than a single turn of the indicating element, ambiguous readings are eliminated. I

The invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section;

Fig. 3 shows the cam track on the back or under face of the cam;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the dial and pointer assembly;

Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 shows the cam follower operatively engaged in the cam groove of- Fig. 3.

Considering now more particularly Figs. 1 and 2, the adjusting unit of the invention is there shown to be operatively associated with a control apparatus having a body or housing 10 and comprising further a condition or temperature detecting or measuring and regulating or controlling means of a type incorporating a switch coupled or connected as by leads ll taken off through the head portion 12, for desired control and signalling. The adjusting element of the apparatus herein shown by way of example only is seen to consist of a shaft or sleeve 13 constructed and arranged as by threading of the same into a longitudinal or axial bore 14 of the housing It and over a switch member 15 therein also received, for effecting by its turning or rotary movement, desired push-pull or axial-shifting adjustment of the control setting. The particular control member governed by the adjusting element and the manner of their coupling will be understood to be immaterial; the adjusting unit of the invention is adapted but not limited to the arrangement illustrated and wherein the adjusting element is itself axially as well as radially shiftable.

The adjusting element or sleeve 13 is seen further to present an annular stem projecting axially outward of and normal to the end face of the control head 12, and adapting it to the manipulating means of the invention. In accordance with the invention a troughed, centrally Patent 2,782,751 Patented Feb. 26, 1957 apertured dial plate is received over sleeve 13 and fixed, as by the screws 23, to said end face of the control head 12. The plate 20 is of shield-like configuration with a gently arched or convex upper margin and merged U- form side and lower margins, as conformant generally to the elements associated therewith. Dial plate 20 is formed more particularly with a flat base 21 overlying and engaging centrally the control head 12 supporting a continuous vertical or side wall 22 of sufficient height to enclose and protect the parts mounted therebetween. Riveted or otherwise aflixed at the upper margin of the base of the plate 20 is an aluminum or other dial scale 24, Figs. 1 and 4. Scale 24 is graduated for the range and in the units appropriate to the particular control apparatus 10, the direction of increase, herein counterclockwise, being determined by the direction of rotation of the sleeve 13 required for the desired adjustment of the control. it will be appreciated further that the spacing of the temperature or other units or increments on the scale 24 may be uniform, or it may be varied in conformity with any non-linearity in the rate of change.

Further in accordance with the invention, a plate or pointer fill is pivoted on the dial plate 2% and more particularly on the projection 31, Fig. 5, which is centered beneath the sleeve 13. The pointer comprises more particularly an upwardly or outwardly bent or biased r'ighthand or cam follower arm 32, and a parallel or straight projecting lefthand or pointer arm The cam follower and pointer arms 32, 35 are seen further to be disposed and to project on opposite sides of the pivot 31, and to be balanced about the same. Further, the cam follower arm 32 is formed at its end with a transversely or outwardly projecting cam follower button 33, and at its base with a laterally extending thickened portion or rib 34, the latter giving it desired lateral rigidity Without restricting its vertical flexibility. Pointer arm 35 is seen to terminate in a pointer 36 arranged or disposed for shifting or reciprocating over the face of the dial scale 24-, and to be provided also with a downwardly projecting boss 37 which serves to control the spacing between the pointer and the scale, and more particularly to preclude interference of the pointer with the face of the scale or with the mounting screws 23 in the event of loosening of the rivet are at pivot 31, or bending of the plate 3i My novel adjusting device further comprises an aluminum or other cam member 40 including an annular domed base portion 41, a reduced cylindrical intermediate or shoulder portion 42, and a further reduced, non-round upper or hub portions 43, said shoulder and hub portions 42, 43 supported integrally and centrally of said base portion 41, and all said portions apertured by a central annular bore 44 proportioned for a snug fitting reception of the cam on the sleeve 13, Fig. 2. Cam member 40 is defined further by a spiral cam track or groove 45, Fig. 3, cut in the under face of the domed base portion 41, and receiving the cam follower button 33, Figs. 2 and 6a This spiral groove 45' is'eonstr ucted and arranged with as many turns as required of sleeve 13 for full range adjustment, which turns are disposed or spaced to drive the pointer 36 across the full width of the scale 24 in the course of rotation through said turns. It will be apparent that by the means just described multiple turns of the adjusting element 13 are converted or reduced to less than one turn, or more particularly the acute angle sweep of the indicating element 30, thereby eliminating ambiguous readings. It will be appreciated also that the cam follower arm 32 is normally spring biased, so as to maintain the follower button 33 in the indicated seating in the groove 45 through the limited range of axial travel of the sleeve 13 and cam 40 during the mentioned rotation through the full control range.

Further in accordance with the invention, the cam 40 is provided with graduations 46 on the inclined periphery of the domed base portion 41. It will be understood that assuming for the control device a suitable or a round numbered and substantially uniform or linear adjustment rate per turn of the cam, the graduations 46 may be numbered and read as control setting units, and thus used as a vernier or vernier scale; Where the adjustment rate is non-uniform and not a multiple of scale units, letter designations may be substituted and the graduations 46 still employed for calibrating, making fine adjustments, and duplicating a predetermined setting.

My novel control adjusting device comprises further a plastic or other manipulating knob 50 having a conical, knurled exterior 51 and formed with a recess 52 open at the bottom, and including annular and non-round outer and inner portions proportioned for snug and loose fitting reception on intermediate and upper cam portions 42, 43 respectively. The knob 50 may be releasably or frictionally held on the cam 40 as by a spring retainer 53 compressed between the opposed non-round or squared cam and knob surfaces 43, 52.

In the assembly of the device the dial plate and pointer assembly 29, 3 a is first affixed to the control head 12 as by the screws 23. The cam member 40 is then drawn over adjusting sleeve 13, which will have been adjusted at an intermediate point in the control range. The pointer follower 33 is engaged in the cam track 45 and the cam 40 spaced from the base of the dial plate a distance appropriate to the intermediate setting and whereby the cam 40 and the cam follower 33 are free to move inward and outward as heretofore mentioned. The cam 40 is then locked to the sleeve 13, as by tightening set screws 47, Figs. 1 and 2. Assembly of the apparatus is completed by placing the friction spring 53 on cam hub 43, spring arms 53a being received in hub grooves 43a, and forcing knob 50 down over the same.

The operation of my novel control adjusting device will be readily apparent from the foregoing description. It will be understood that the location of the pivot point 31, the length of the follower 32, and the lead of the cam 45 are calculated to provide optimum linearity of the pointer 36 movement as a function of the control setting. It may here be noted also that the design and construction of the apparatus is such as to provide accuracy and readability of pointer indication which is compatible with the accuracy of the switch itself. It

has been found further that any error in the apparatus,

such as may be caused by eccentricity of the cam 40 or by misalignment of the cam track 45 and the cored hole 44, or may arise from the diametrical clearance between the hole 44 and adjusting sleeve 13, can be reduced by one half or more by proper orientation of the set screws 47 in the cam portion 42.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that I have provided a new and improved control adjusting assembly characterized by simplicity and durability of design and construction and ease and accuracy of operation. My novel adjusting unit has been shown further to be characterized by advantageously small size, and by a minimum number of inexpensively made parts. Further and finally the control-setting-regulating means of the invention is seen as distinguished by improved cam and 01- lower means for simply and accurately relating dial and pointer movement and for converting multiple control element turns to a pointer sweep of less than one turn, whereby ambiguous readings are eliminated, and fine adjustment is provided.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof illustrated and described herein, and I set forth its scope in my following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for ordering and indicating the setting of devices wherein a longitudinal adjustment is effected by a rotatable regulating element, comprising a dial mounted laterally of the device and calibrated in units correlated with the longitudinal adjustment, a pointer reciprocable over said dial, a knob received on said regulating element, and cam and follower means coupling said knob and pointer whereby rotation of said knob orders both the longitudinal adjustment of said device and the lateral positioning of said pointer, vernier scale means on the cam, the cam and follower means so constructed that multiple turns of said knob and element in full range adjustment of said device are reduced to a single sweep of said pointer.

2. Means for regulating and indicating the setting of a control device of the type having a head and an adjusting element rotatable therethrough, comprising a dial assembly received over the element and secured to the head, a plate pivotally supported on said assembly and having a parallel projecting pointer arm reciprocable over the dial scale and an outwardly bent follower arm terminating in a laterally projecting button, a cam member received over and rigidly secured to the element and having fine adjustment graduations about its periphery and a spiral grooved under-face engaging said button, and a manipulating knob non-rotatively and removably received on said cam member, the cam and follower arm correlated to convert and indicate multiple turns of the element as a single sweep of the pointer.

3. Adjusting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pointer arm has a boss for spacing the pointer from the dial, and wherein the follower arm is formed with a laterally rigid rib and mounts an outwardly projecting follower button.

4. In combination, in a thermostatic control device having a tubular shell with an end closure head and a temperature set-point adjusting screw in a longitudinal aperture of the head for longitudinal movement to adjust such set point, a sleeve carried by the head concentrically With said screw and having differential threaded engagement with the latter and with the head, a stationary dial anchored in radially extended position at the end face of said head, a pointer reciprocable over said dial, a knob supported with said sleeve, and cam and follower means coupling said knob and pointer whereby rotation of said knob orders both the longitudinal adjustment of said adjusting screw and the lateral positioning of said pointer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,975,675 Antelme Oct. 2, 1934 

